|
Flower Pot Nativity
by Amy via JoAnn Foster (Ridgecrest 1st
Ward, Ridgecrest, California Stake, USA) Amy, a self-proclaimed
non-crafter, says that she was amazed how easy this nativity was
to make and how good it looked.
Supplies:
• Two ceramic flower pots, 2 1/4",
available at most discount, garden or craft stores
• One ceramic flower pot, 1 3/4", available at most
discount, garden or craft stores
• Three wooden balls 1 1/2", we got ours at WoodCrafters.com,
but you could also find them at local discount or craft store
• Spanish moss
• Craft paint
• Scraps of fabric, Two 9 x 9" pieces, One 3 1/2 x 3
1/2" piece
• Staff for Joseph, could be a blunt tooth pick
• Permanent marker
• Wooden star, , we got ours at WoodCrafters.com,
but you could also find them at local discount or craft store
• Spanish moss
• Craft paint
• Craft wire
• Glue gun & glue sticks
 Step-by-step:
For Baby Jesus:
1. Paint pot and star and let dry.
2. Wrap craft wire around pencil to make spiral.
3. Attach star to wire with hot glue.
4. Glue Spanish moss inside the small pot for hay.
5. Glue star and wire on top of moss.
6. Fray 3 1/2" square slightly and fold around
one of the wooden balls. Glue as necessary to keep fabric tucked
around ball. Glue to moss.
7. Add face with permanent marker.
For Joseph & Mary:
1. Paint pots and let dry.
2. Glue Joseph& Mary's heads (wooden balls)
to the bottom of pots.
3. Add Spanish moss for hair and draw on faces with
marker.
4. Fold fabric in half along bias and fit over head
to base of pot.
5. Hot glue along sides, top of head and along bottom
edge of pot. Trim to fit.
6. Add staff for Joseph.
Optional Figure:
Angel
1. Paint pot white.
2. Hot glue Spanish moss or yarn for hair.
3. Add face with marker.
4. Glue head on and add wire for halo
Advent Calendar
Compiled by Sara MacLean
Supplies:
• 19 1/4 X 26 1/4” Quilted fabric
• 19 1/4 X 26 1/4” Coordinated fabric for backing
• 5 X 12” fabric (either quilted or backing) for straps
• 12 X 13” Green felt
• 3 strips 1 1/2 X 27” Green felt
• 3 strips 1 1/2 X 15 1/2” red felt
• Scrap of brown felt
• 25 1/4” brass colored bells
• 24 purchased miniature ornaments
• Beading for garland
• Gold star – 1 1/4”
• Dowel or curtain rod (18” wide)
• Coordinated thread
• Gold or silver marking pen
> Download our template pdf
Step-by-step:
Instructions for panel and tree:
1. With right sides together, sew along 2 long sides
and 1 short side of fabric using a 5/8” seam allowance. Turn
right sides out and press. This forms the panel. Press 5/8”
along open edge to inside.
2. With right sides together, sew long side of 5
X 12” strap fabric. Turn and press. Cut in half.
3. Fold each strap in half to form a loop. Position
each loop inside open edge of panel 3” from the sides. The
finished advent calendar will hang from a dowel or curtain rod
placed through these loops.
4. Sew the open end of the panel closed, catching
the ends of the loops in the seam.
5. Enlarge the tree pattern so that the tree will
measure approximately 12” high by 13” wide. Cut the
tree out of the green felt. Position the tree in the center of
the panel with the top 1 1/4” from the top edge.
6. Position the 2 parts of the tree trunk below
the tree. Place the top edge of the upper flap under the lower
edge of the tree. The upper flap should over lap the lower pocket
by about 1”. Adjust so that the sides are aligned to create
a smooth tree trunk. (SEE FIGURE 1)
FIGURE 1 |
FIGURE 2 |
7. Sew 3 sides of the lower pocket to form a pouch
for storage of the star. Stitching should be close to the edge.
8. Sew along the upper edge only of the upper flap.
9. Sew the tree to the panel, stitching close to
the edge. You can use a straight or zigzag stitch.
10. Drape beading across tree for garland. Glue
in place. (SEE FIGURE 2)
11. Arrange 24 1/4” bells on the tree. These
will be the hooks for the ornaments. Sew in place by hand. Sew
one bell at the top so that the star will hang at the top of the
tree on Christmas day.
Instructions for ornament pockets:
1. Each green strip will be pleated to form 8 pockets.
Beginning at the left side, measure in 1/4” and form a 1/4”
pleat. Pin. Measure 1 1/2” and make a second 1/4” pleat.
Pin. This forms one pocket. (SEE FIGURE 3) Allow 1/2” between
pockets. Continue pleating until you have formed 8 pockets. The
piece should measure 15”. Repeat for the 2 remaining strips
of green felt.
FIGURE 3 |
FIGURE 4 |
2. Pin the green felt strips to the panel placing
the bottom edge of one strip 2” from the bottom of the panel.
Place the other green strips above the first and about 1 1/4”
apart, spacing them evenly.
3. Sew along the edges and the bottoms of the green
strips, close to the edge. Next, sew between pockets. You should
have eight pockets in each row. (SEE FIGURE 4)
4. The red strips will form a flap over the pockets
with numbers indicating the ornament to be hung for each day in
December.
5. Using a silver or gold marking pen, draw numbers
1-8 on one strip, evenly spaced. Draw 9-16 on the second strip.
Draw 17-24 on the third strip.
6. Place the red strips above the green pockets.
Pin in place. Sew close to the top edge.
7. Place one ornament in each of the pockets. If
the ornaments do not have hanging threads, use strong quilting
thread or several strands of embroidery floss to form a loop.
Hot glue the loop in place.
 Variation
- Button Tree Advent Calendar
by Lori Garcia (Shoal Creek Valley Branch,
Liberty, Missouri Stake, USA)
This is a variation of the
above advent tree, using felt and buttons.
Supplies:
• Felt
Red 66 x 19" (thicker felt from
a fabric bolt) and 3 - 16 x 2" strips
3 - sheets of green craft felt
scraps of bright orange, royal blue, light pink, light blue, kiwi,
fuchsia and brown
• Metallic green thread
• White thread
• Corresponding embroidery floss for the scrap felt
• Alphabet tracing template like those used in scrapbooking
• 24 - 1/4" buttons in kiwi and red
• 24 mini store-bought ornaments
• Embroidery needles
• Pinking shears
• Sewing machine
• 23" dowel, 1/2" thick
• Ribbon to hang calendar
Optional
• Embroidery foot for sewing machine or white paint pen
• Pom pom trim
Step-by-step:
1. Fold red felt in half so
that it measures 33 x 19". Sew a zigzag stitch border around
the entire banner about 1/4" from the edge with white thread.
Set aside.
2. Trace out letters to "Christmas
Countdown" using an alphabet template such as one used in
scrapbooking. (Crafty Chic Tip: Trace the letters backwards with
a pen. When you cut them out, flip them around and there will
be no pen marks.)
3. Cut out letters and place
on red banner. Pin on and stitch with matching embroidery floss
for each.
4. Cut three triangles where
the base is about 10 1/2" wide from the three pieces of green
felt. Trim the base with pinking shears.
5. Pin to red banner and ribbon
stitch with machine around the edges, leaving the bottom edge
aka the the base where you trimmed with pinking shears, open.
 6.
Cut a small trunk and ribbon stitch it on with corresponding thread
or sew it on by hand with embroidery floss.
7. Sew 24 buttons on the tree using corresponding
embroidery floss.
8. Gather the three strips of red felt measuring
16 x 2" each. With white chalk, mark every two inches along
one of the strips. Repeat for the other two. This will give you
eight squares on each strip.
9. To Embroider the Numbers on the Pockets: Draw
the numbers 1-24 in the squares with the chalk. Using an embroidery
foot on the sewing machine, embroidery each number over the chalk
numbers you drew.
To Draw on the Numbers: Use a white paint pen to
draw on the numbers 1-24 in each of the squares on the strips.
10. Sew three sides of each strip to the red banner,
leaving the top side open.
11. Sew on the chalk lines you drew in step #8.
This will form the pockets for the ornaments.
12. Sew trim to the bottom if desired.
13. Cut five strips of various colors of craft felt
2 x 6". Fold in half and sew to top of banner to create loops
for dowel.
14. Add dowel and ribbon to use as a hanger.
15. Place one ornament in each pocket to be placed
on the tree each day leading up to Christmas.
 Noel
Banner
Let your kids help assemble this cute, festive holiday
banner.
Supplies:
• Felt
4 X 42” piece of green
Scraps of red, white, black, pink, brown, yellow, blue, tan
• Pom Poms – 1”
1 black, 2 brown, 1 yellow
• Beads or eyes – 10 (3-5 mm)
• Beads for buttons – 5 (3-5 mm)
• 1” Bell – 1
• Fringe – 10“
• 1/4” Red ribbon – 10“
• Small bells – 2
• School or tacky glue
>Download
figure patterns in PDF
Step-by-step:
1. Cut a strip of green felt 4 X 42”. Cut a
point at one end.
2. Fold over 1 1/2” at top of strip and glue
closed leaving a pocket at the top. You can either hang the banner
by gluing a hanger to the back, or insert a dowel through the
opening.
3. Cut out figures according to pattern
instructions.
4. Assemble each of the figures by gluing parts
onto the main body. Glue on eyes, pom poms, and beads.
5. Glue fringe 1” from top. Cut 1/4“ ribbon
into two pieces. Tie each into a small bow. Glue below fringe
along with the small bells.
6. Glue fringe to bottom of banner. Glue 1”
bell at the tip.
7. Lay out the figures and the letters on the banner,
spacing them evenly apart with approximately 1” between each
one. Adjust to fit evenly. Glue in place.
 Snow
Couple
Supplies:
• Cotton batting 13 X 48”
• 2 store-bought hats
• Scraps of Christmas print fabric 8 X 8” and 2 1/2
X 20”
• 6 beads for buttons
• 8” string beads (necklace)
• 4 eyes, beads or 1/4” black craft balls
• Household cotton string
• Ribbons, Christmas beads, holly leaves
Step-by-step:
1. Roll cotton batting lengthwise so you end up
with a 13” high roll.
2. Using cotton string, tie securely in 3 spots,
forming a waist, neck and tuft at the top of the head. Fold the
bottom edge inward and tuck it into the center forming a base
and a rounded edge. Use hot glue to secure the ends.
 3.
Glue on eyes and beads for buttons.
4. Fray the edges of the 8 X 8” square and
fold in half to form an apron for Mrs. Snowman. Fray the edges
of the other strip and tie it around the neck of Mr. Snowman for
a scarf.
5. Decorate each of the hats with leaves, berries
and ribbon. Trim the top edge of the cotton batting so that the
hats will fit. Glue hats onto the heads of each figure.
 Bead
Garland Ornaments
by Lisa James (St James, Arizona, USA)
Supplies:
• Christmas Bead Garlands
• Styrofoam Balls 2, 3, or 4 inch
• 1/4 inch ribbon
• Store-bought or handmade bow
• Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Step-by-step:
1. Cut ribbon to a 17 inch length for a smaller ball, longer for
bigger ball.
2. Carefully hot glue the ends of the ribbon to
the bottom of the ball.
3. Form a hanging loop with the rest of the ribbon
at the opposite end or top of ball. Glue the ribbon to the ball,
leaving the hanging loop part free. (SEE FIGURE 1)
FIGURE 1 |
4. Start gluing the garland to the Styrofoam ball,
a few inches at a time. It is easiest to form glue line on the
ball and place the garland into it.
5. Add bow to top when finished.
6. To get rid of the unwanted hot glue strings,
use a warm setting on a hair dryer and blow them away.
Lisa wants to send a special thanks to Joelle for her inspiration.
 Picture
Puzzle Blocks
by Rebecca Morgan (Shoal Creek Valley Branch,
Liberty, Missouri Stake, USA) - A
special thanks to Charla Shriever for letting us photograph her
project.
Turn family pictures into a cute desk or display
item that would be perfect for a dad's desk at work or a grandma's
book shelf.
Supplies:
• Eight 2 x 2" blocks of wood. (We
ordered ours from CraftParts.com
• Plaid® Mod Podge glue
(Crafty Chic Note: Both the high gloss and the matte
will work just fine. We preferred the matte-look because the high
gloss seem to show the brush strokes.)
• foam brush
• Six 4 x 6" photos that can be cut down to 4 x 4"
(Crafty Chic Note: photos must be professionally printed
from a photo lab or photo kiosk. Most photos printed at home will
not work because ink is not waterproof and will run. To be sure,
test out a home-printed photo first before starting the project
by rubbing the Mod Podge glue on it and seeing how your photo
reacts.)
• Paper trimmer or scissors
Step-by-step:
1. Select six pictures printed to the 4 x 6"
size. Trim these photos down to 4 x 4" squares. Each picture
will be a side of the cube of blocks. (SEE FIGURE 1)
FIGURE 1 |
FIGURE 2 |
|
2. Take one of the 4 x 4" pictures and trim
it in half so you are left with two 2 x 4" halves. (SEE FIGURE
2)
3. Trim both halves again, so that you are left
with four 2 x 2" quarters. (SEE FIGURE 3) You should now
have six different picture groups. Each picture will be made up
of four 2 x 2" squares. (SEE FIGURE 4
FIGURE 3 |
FIGURE 4 |
|
4. Start with one side of the cube of blocks and
work your way around. (SEE FIGURE 5)
5. Brush one side of a block with the Mod Podge
adhesive. Make sure to coat it on pretty thick so the picture
will stick. (SEE FIGURE 6)
FIGURE 5 |
FIGURE 6 |
|
6. Place one quarter of the picture on the block
and press down firmly. (SEE FIGURE 7) Glue the rest of the picture
to the blocks, continuing around clockwise.
7. Once you have finished one side, line it up as
it would look when it's finished. This will ensure that you are
gluing on the correct picture pieces to the correct blocks.
(Crafty Chic Note: When this project was
done as a Super Saturday Craft in the Shoal Creek Valley Branch,
Liberty, Missouri Stake, USA, there were many participants that
glued the wrong pictures to the wrong block. Luckily, they were
able to find their mistakes and carefully lift the pictures off
before the glue became permanent. Be careful of your picture placement.)
FIGURE 7 |
FIGURE 8 |
|
8. Once you've glued all the picture pieces to the
wooden blocks, you're ready to coat the entire cube of blocks
with Mod Podge. This clear coat will seal the pictures so they
won't come off easily.
9. Once dry, your final project will be a fun gift
for anyone on your list.
FIGURE 9 |
FIGURE 10 |
|
Make Your Own Holiday Place Settings
by Heather Hales, senior editor
Supplies:
• Ceramic/porcelain/glass dishes
(Crafty Chic Note: if you live near IKEA, you can purchase
their $.50 dishware for this project)
• Pebeo Porcelain 150 paint - red paint, black paint pen
(Found online or at most craft stores- JoAnn's, Michaels, Hobby
Lobby, etc.)
• Small paint brushes
• Oven
Step-by-step:
1. Paint your thumb red and press onto surface to
make reindeer head. Finish by using the paint pen to fill in eyes,
nose and antlers.
2. Bake according to directions (35min at 300degrees) They will
be dishwasher safe and last for years.
Variations:
Foam stamps work really well. Use your child's hand print to create
a Turkey. Mix a little glitter into the paint for a fun effect.
Easy Ornament
Gifts
by Heidi Hallam
These cute ornaments are a great
alternative to the traditional plate of goodies that you take
to your friends, neighbors and visiting teachers.
 Santa's
Red Underwear
Supplies:
• Red felt
• Needle and thread or sewing machine
• Candy
• Paper card
• Buttons
• Safety pin
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Step-by-step:
1. Cut out two pieces for the
red underwear from felt. Cut hole in backside of one piece.
2. Sew together both sides with
needle and thread.
3. Stuff with candy.
4. To hold candy in, safety pin a slightly larger
piece of felt, than the hole you cut, to the backside.
 5.
Adhere buttons with hot glue.
6. Attach the following note:
We looked for a stocking,
but we couldn't find a spare.
So we ended up stuffing
Santa's red underwear.
Merry Christmas!
 Tree
Ornament
Supplies:
• Green felt or flannel for tree
• Safety pin
• Needle and thread or sewing machine
• Candy
Step-by-step:
1. Cut out two pieces (a front and a back) for the
tree.
2. Cut out a hole in one piece.
2. Stitch together both sides of the tree with needle
and thread.
3. Stuff with candy.
4. Cut a piece that is slightly larger than the
hole you cut out of the back of the tree in step #2. Safety pin
it to keep candy in.
5. Attach the following note:
This year we've been busy as a bee.
But we found time to make you this tree.
It's stuffed full of candy for you to eat.
Have a very merry Christmas and enjoy your treat!
 Family
Home Evening Board
Supplies:
• Board—24 X 7 1/2”, beveled along one side
• Acrylic Paint—2 colors
• 6 Horseshoe nails
• Word strips (optional - >Order
word strips from Design-A-Line)
• Acrylic Sealer
• Ribbon or twine—8” for each name tag
• Picture Hanger
• 1/4” Luan or plywood for name tags—one for each
family member
• Drill and 1/8” drill bit
• Hammer
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Sandpaper
• 2 Paint Brushes or sponge brushes
• Small lettering brush if you are going to hand paint your
letters
• Stenciling materials if you are going to stencil your letters
• Paper towels
• Dish or plate for paint paletteDirections:
Step-by-step:
1. Sand board until smooth and wipe clean. Cut name
tags (2 X 4”), one for each member of the family, sand and
drill a 1/8” hole for the ribbon.
2. Apply 2-3 coats of main color paint to the board
(SEE FIGURE 1), allowing drying time between coats. Apply 2-3
coats of contrast color to name tags, painting all sides (SEE
FIGURE 2).
FIGURE 1 |
FIGURE 2 |
|
3. When completely dry, apply word strip to board
or paint or stencil in contrast color, centering letters on the
board. If using word strips, peel backing from word strip (SEE
FIGURE 3), pressing on board (SEE FIGURE 4) and lifting plastic
off lettering. Work slowly and carefully (SEE FIGURE 5).
FIGURE 3 |
FIGURE 4 |
|
4. Use word strips, stencil, or hand paint names
onto each name tag.
FIGURE 5 |
FIGURE 6 |
|
5. Seal letters with a coat of acrylic spray paint.
6. Mark board for placement of horseshoe nails that
will be the hangers for the name tags. Place tags evenly below
each task. Hammer nails into place (SEE FIGURE 6).
7. Thread ribbon or twine through the holes of each
tag. Tie to make a loop for hanging.
For the holidays, use festive Christmas ribbon to
hang the name tags. Add sprigs of spruce or holly leaves and berries
to decorate your board.
|
